In third year, still an uncertain relationship for Lamont and legislators
The legislature left town last year. Lamont enjoyed it.
Via Zoom, this room in the Executive Residence has become a familiar backdrop during the pandemic for Gov. Ned Lamont.
Gov. Ned Lamont has had two very different years in office. During the first, he had to contend with the Connecticut General Assembly, but not COVID-19. During the second, he faced COVID, but not lawmakers.
Any guess which he found easier?
“Obviously, this last year has been very different. I mean, the legislature went home. That was amazing. We got a lot done,” Lamont said recently. Then laughing, he added, “You know, I kind of liked it.”
Merrill Gay helped his elderly mother, sequestered alone at home, make an appointment last week to get a coronavirus vaccination.
Meanwhile, the thousands of child care workers who are members of the coalition he leads, the Early Childhood Alliance, have been told they will have to wait more than a month for their turn to make an appointment.
“A person living by themselves isn’t really high risk,” said Gay. “It’s really easy to slip into the, ‘Oh yeah, old folks are more likely to die from this,’ as opposed to looking at the data and [asking], ‘Well, demographically, are they really? ”
Steady Habits: Is Connecticut’s vaccine rollout inequitable?
Connecticut continues to be among the leading states in getting its residents Covid vaccine shots. The most recent CDC data show that only two states have administered first doses to a higher percentage of its population. Gov. Ned Lamont says the state is in a race. “We are racing to get as many people vaccinated as quickly as we can, ahead of what could be this super contagious strain,” he said in his COVID briefing last week.
Most of the state’s healthcare personnel, first responders, and many in long-term facilities have gotten the shot, and those 75 and older – not already in that group – are getting theirs now (although, as the Mirror reported this week, that’s proven to be more difficult than many seniors would like).
FOX61’s Brian Didlake to take part in panel on biggest stories of the year
Panelists will discuss stories including: COVID-19’s impact; Black Lives Matter and racial and social justice; the 2020 election and more Author: FOX61 Staff Updated: 12:51 PM EST January 24, 2021
There’s no doubt 2020 will go down as an eventful year. And early next month, a panel of local journalists will discuss the events that made the news and give their insights on how they were covered.
The event, “The Stories Behind the Biggest Stories of 2020,” will be held on Webex on Thursday, Feb. 11 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The panel will be produced by the Connecticut Foundation for Open Government.
Gov. Ned Lamont delivered keynote speech at a virtual conference of municipal officials Wednesday, then he cheerily signed off : "Take care everybody. Appreciate the chance to be with you. I gotta go get a new hip."